Display rack



0. L. RITZAU DISPLAY RACK Filed Nov. 14, i959 Feb. 24, 1942,.

K INVENTOR C/a/"ence L fii/Zau A TORNE Patented Feb. 24, 1942 D; STATESPATENTTOFFICE DISPLAY RACK Clarence L. Ritzau, Redwood City, Calif.Application November 14, 1939, Serial No. 304,306

1 Claim.

My invention relates to means for assisting in the storing and displayof articles for vending, and is concerned especially with a display rackwhich facilitates the storage and display of commodities in packagedform or loaf form, such as bread, although, of course, not being limitedthereto.

The problem of displaying bread in an ordinary retail store is oneinvolved not only with supplying adequate support for the loaves ofbread but also with confining them as much as possible, due to theabsence of available space ordinarily, and further in providing somedisplay means so that the bread can be readily observed yet will bemaintained in neat order despite the diminishing amount on display assales proceed.

It is therefore an object of my invention to provide a display rackwhich is especially applicable to the support and confinement ofmaterial such as loaves of bread.

Another object of my invention is to provide a display rack which canreadily be accommodated to display various quantities of a commodity.

Another object of my invention is to provide a display rack which canitself readily be stored in a very small space when not in use.

Another object of my invention is to provide a variable display rackwhich will maintain a given size once it has been set or adjusted tothat size.

The foregoing and other objects are attained in the embodiment of theinvention illustrated in the drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a frontelevation of the display rack of my invention disclosed in its expandedcondition for the display of a relatively large numbe of loaves ofbread;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the display rack in use as shown in Fig.1;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of my display rack shown in use with asmaller number of loaves of bread;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the display rack as illustrated in Fig. 3;and

Fig. 5 is an isometric perspective of the display rack of my invention.

In its preferred form, the display rack of my invention includes anumber of L-shaped pieces I having legs arranged for mutual frictionalen-.

gagement to complete the enclosure of a rectangular frame, there being arelatively wide base for stability of support and uprights and a bridgemember, all of telescoping character, to

afford an adequate confining enclosure.

While the display rack of my invention can be utilized in conjunctionwith the display of various articles, it is preferably utilized inconjunction with the display of material such as loaves of bread whichis somewhat yielding or resilient in character. For this purpose Iprovide a rack including a base, generally designated 6, including twomembers 1 and 8 which are horizontally flat rectangles in cross-sectionand which are in frictional sliding engagement one within the other toform a telescoping base. Since the member 8 is somewhat smaller than themember 1, it can be completely nested or telescoped for minimum lengthor can be drawn out from the member 1 to form a materially longer basemember. This extensibility is important in accommodating the displayrack to the display of commodities of different size or in displaying adifferent number of bread loaves, for example. The transverse or lateralflattening of the base members is effective to distribute the load overa relatively wide area so that the base is stable and is not readilyoverturned when placed upon a supporting surface.

To the base member I there is afiixed an upright 9, preferably oftubular form, secured permanently to the member I and projectingtherefrom at substantially a right angle. In a similar fashion there isan upright ll mounted on and permanently secured to the base member 8,so that the uprights 9 and II are parallel. Telescopically orfrictionally slidable with respect to the member 9 and disposabletherein is a corner piece l2, preferably of tubing, which has a snug fitwithin the upright 9 and is also capable of slidably engaging andforming a bridge member with a piece l3 of L-shape which has both of itsbranches telescopically engaging the pieces H and I2.

In the use of the structure, for shipment and storage purposes the base6 and the bridge formed of the members I 2 and [3 are readilydisassembled to leave four pieces, generally of L-shape, which can besomewhat nested or stacked in a very small space. For use, these piecesare assembled as illustrated in Fig. 5 and are contracted to encompassthe smallest opening, as shown in Fig. 3, wherein nine loaves of bread,for example, are supported in compact order. If it is then necessary toaccommodate more material, the telescoping bottom pieces I and 8 areextended, the bridge members l2 and I3 are likewise extended inparallelism thereto, while the uprights 9 and II are also extended toincrease the height, so that when extended a maximum amount thestructure will accommodate sixteen loaves of bread, for example, asshown in Fig. 1.

To assure that the frame assembly and the displayed material are allquite firmly held, it is preferable, after introducing the bread intothe display rack, to constrict the members into close abutment with thebread. This yields slightly and the holding pressure is effective tocock or cam the .various telescoping members 10 each upon the otherslightly to increase the friction, so that when the frame is once set itdoes not readily change size except by manual al-,

teration.

porting variable sized enclosing frame.

CLARENCE L. RITZAU.

